Dear Dennis,
I'm glad to know you have appreciated this new entry from me.
I'm sad I was able to send only few seeds because I have not so much time for hand pollinations and this year I had just few pods and a lot of friends who has asked me those seeds.
The mother plants of this species was propagated from a single plant collected many years ago at Pantelleria, but this species is present also in the western Sicily. Some little populations are in the islands of Malta and Gozo, and anoher little population in the eastern Sicily.
One year later I've heared that someone has found a population in Sardinia. This may be an impressive news and I'm hunting some realiable evidences to confirm this information. If this information will be true, I guess there are some possibilities to confirm that this species has a large distribution in the past and maybe some populations can be found in the north african coasts.
The amazing feature of this species is in his dormancy: the leaves die out completely in the summer and the rhizome is naked, as arils do.
And don't forget this is a giant species: my plants have up to 150 cm stalks (someone says up to 170 cm).
I think this is one of the most unusual and unknown species I grow, contending with I. revoluta for the nomination of "my favourite wild eupogon".
When they will flower again I'll get new pictures for the SIGNA Database.
Reply to your question:
I've found very interesting in the SIGNA seed exchange the following species
haynei ex D. Bahar, Israel
lortetii ex D. Bahar, Israel
odaesanensis Chu Wang San #3
fulva red HP
giganticaerulea ‘Big Tex’ HP ex Matagorda County TX
verna WC Carter & Rowan Cty KY
Alophia veracruzana
But I was a bit disappointed for the lack of other iridaceae.
Thank you and excuse me for my english.
fil.
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